This invention relates generally to apparatus for playing a word game, and more particularly to word game equipment which makes use of a multi-channel slide holder and slidable letter strips therein.
A written or printed word is composed of a series of letters which together constitute a spoken word. Each letter represents a unit of an alphabet and the individual letters or a combination thereof represent the sounds of consonants, vowels and syllables of human speech. In some languages, there is a direct and orderly phonetic correlation between the sound of a word and its spelling. Thus in German, words are generally spelled exactly as they sound, so that a student of German, once he acquires a knowledge of the relationship between letter combinations and sounds, is able without difficulty, upon hearing a German word, to spell it correctly.
But in English, a language which has evolved as an amalgam of several European languages, the relationship between the spelling and the phonetics of a spoken word is irregular and sometimes arbitrary. If, for example, one did not know how to spell "Worcestershire," and sought upon hearing this word, to then write it phonetically, the resultant written word would bear little resemblance to its correct form. And if one says the word "slay" without putting it in a sentence making its meaning clear, the auditor has no means of knowing whether to spell it as "slay" in the sense of kill, or "sleigh" in the sense of sled.
In acquiring a knowledge of the English language, an incredible amount of time is given over to proper spelling, and few students ever gain a sufficient mastery of the language to spell all words correctly. For example, there is no way from the sound of an English word having an "r," "p" or "s" sound to know whether to use a single or double letter to express this sound; and from an "f" sound to know whether to use the letter "f" or the letters "ph" for this purpose.
This problem has inspired word games and contests which through play and competition serve to implant in the players a knowledge of correct spelling and usage. The oldest game of this type is the spelling bee in which players compete in spelling spoken word. But the very term "spelling" denotes the formation of words from letters according to accepted usage, and what constitutes such usage is often in dispute.
In recent years, word games such as "Scrabble" have been invented to facilitate the acquisition of words and their correct spellings. In these games, players assemble letters on racks or other holding devices to create words, the letters being assigned different weights or values. By totalling the values forming an assembled word, one is able to score the players.